Roasted Pumpkin Risotto with Crispy Sage is fall on a plate! Skip the peeling and chopping and simply oven roast your pumpkin for a wonderful flavor and creamy texture.
Fall is here and it's time for everything pumpkin again. This week's choice was this Roasted Pumpkin Risotto with Crispy Sage! And why not? It's such a versatile vegetable delicious whether in sweet or savory dishes. One of my family's favorites is, hands down, my Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. We also enjoy pumpkin or squash in soups, casseroles, crostatas and more recently even as a topping for pizza!
Risotto is one of those dishes where almost any seasonal ingredient works well, and it's perfect for showcasing roasted pumpkin.
Here are a few of my other favorite risottos:
During spring we enjoy risotto with fresh asparagus; any time of year is great for barley risotto with basil pesto that you've made during the summer and stored in the freezer; and how about one of my new favorites, Fennel and Leek risotto!
How to roast a pumpkin:
For this recipe I oven roasted a small sugar pumpkin not only for that wonderful roasted flavor but also to make it easier to get that pumpkin flesh. Let's face it, peeling and cutting a pumpkin is not an easy task. Yes, you can always substitute canned pumpkin purée if you're in a hurry. But there's nothing like the wonderful flavor of roasted pumpkin that you've made yourself. And it's so easy to do!
Rinse a sugar pumpkin, cut off the stem and cut in half. The pumpkin I used was approximately 3 lbs. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and strings. Don't forget to save the seeds for roasting!
Lightly salt and pepper the flesh, coat with olive oil and place face down on a parchment covered baking sheet. Roast for about 40 minutes at 375F or until tender. You can tell it's done when a knife or fork can easily pierce through the skin.
Set aside until cool enough to handle. Use a spoon to scoop out the flesh from each half. Set aside. You don't need to mash it as it will melt into the hot risotto later on.
You will need 2 cups of pumpkin flesh for this recipe, or about half of what you scooped out. Reserve the remaining pumpkin to make a delicious soup. Or you can also freeze it for a future pumpkin risotto.
Step by Step Instructions:
All risottos begin with a simmering sauce pan of broth. Place the broth in a medium sized sauce pan and bring to a simmer.
In a large sauce pan, heat olive oil on medium heat and sauté a diced onion for 3-4 minutes. Add the rice and toast for 2 minutes, stirring to coat each grain of rice with oil.
Add the wine and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes until it has evaporated.
Begin adding the broth one ladle full at a time. Cook, stirring until the stock has been absorbed and then continue adding more broth one scoop at a time.
When the rice is almost done, after approximately 15 minutes of adding broth and stirring, add the pumpkin flesh and stir until it is fully integrated into the rice mixture and is creamy.
Continue adding broth as needed until the rice is al dente. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmigiano cheese.
Serve hot topped with crispy sage leaves, either whole or crumbled. In a small non stick pan, heat olive oil on high heat. Carefully add sage leaves and fry for about 15 seconds on each side. Transfer to a paper towel covered plate.
Tips and suggestions:
- To save time, roast your pumpkin a day or two ahead of time.
- In a pinch canned pumpkin purée can be substituted for the roasted pumpkin. Be sure to purchase plain pumpkin and not spiced purée.
- To make this a vegetarian dish substitute the chicken broth for vegetable broth.
- You'll know when it's time to add more stock when you drag your spoon across the bottom of the pan and it leaves a gap.
- If you use up all your stock and the rice is still under cooked, add simmering water until done.
- For extra flavor add sautéed cubed pancetta until crisp. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Cook onion in the pancetta fat and proceed as usual. Stir the pancetta into the risotto at the end of cooking.
- Top the risotto with a whole fried sage leaf or crumble and stir into the rice.
- If you prefer skipping the frying, simply chop some fresh sage leaves and stir into the rice near the end of cooking to add extra flavor.
- Risotto is best served hot right away when ready.
Check out more squash recipe!
- Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Creamy Butternut Squash and Spinach Polenta Lasagna
- Savory Pumpkin Ricotta Fritters
- Sweet and Sour Squash (zucca in agrodolce)
- Butternut Squash, Leek and Goat Cheese Crostata
- Sausage and Pasta Stuffed Acorn Squash
Roasted Pumpkin Risotto is a wonderful weeknight family dinner choice at this time of year. If you make it please share your photos with me by tagging me with @mangiabedda or #mangiabedda on Facebook or Instagram. Feel free to pin the recipe for later. Buon appetito!
Ingredients
- 1 sugar pumpkin about 3 lbs
- 6-7 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 2 cups arborio rice
- ½ cup white wine
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup Parmigiano cheese, freshly grated plus extra for serving
For crispy sage leaves
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- sage leaves
Instructions
To roast the pumpkin:
- Preheat oven to 375F and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a sharp knife to slice the pumpkin in half. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds and strings.
- Lightly coat the flesh of the pumpkin in olive oil, salt and pepper. Place flesh side down on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until tender.
- Set aside until cool enough to handle. Use a spoon to scoop out the flesh from both halves. Measure 2 cups of pumpkin for the risotto and reserve the rest for another use.
For the risotto:
- Place the broth in a medium sized sauce pan and bring to a simmer.
- In a large sauce pan, heat olive oil on medium heat and sauté onion for 3-4 minutes. Add the rice and toast for 2 minutes, stirring to coat each grain of rice with oil.
- Add the wine and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes until it has evaporated.
- Begin adding the broth one ladle full at a time. Cook, stirring until the broth has been absorbed and then continue adding more broth one scoop at a time.
- When the rice is almost done, after approximately 15 minutes of adding broth and stirring, add the pumpkin flesh and stir until it is fully integrated into the rice mixture and is creamy.
- Continue adding broth as needed until the rice is al dente. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmigiano cheese.
- Serve hot topped with crispy sage leaves, either whole or crumbled, and extra Parmigiano cheese at the table.
To make crispy sage leaves
- In a small non stick pan, heat olive oil on high heat. Carefully add sage leaves and fry for about 15 seconds on each side. Transfer to a paper towel covered plate.
Notes
- To save time, roast your pumpkin a day or two ahead of time.
- In a pinch canned pumpkin purée can be substituted for the roasted pumpkin. Be sure to purchase plain pumpkin and not spiced purée.
- To make this a vegetarian meal substitute chicken broth for vegetable broth.
- You'll know when it's time to add more stock when you drag your spoon across the bottom of the pan and it leaves a gap.
- For extra flavor add sautéed cubed pancetta until crisp. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Cook onion in the pancetta fat and proceed as usual. Stir the pancetta into the risotto at the end of cooking.
- Top the risotto with a whole fried sage leaf or crumble and stir into the rice.
- If you prefer skipping the frying, simply chop some fresh sage leaves and stir into the rice near the end of cooking to add extra flavor.
- Risotto is best served hot right away when ready.
- Please note that the nutritional information provided is approximate and may vary according to exact portion size.
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